Three lives were taken in a remote mountain community above the Coachella Valley… and then, someone tried to erase it all with fire.

But what that fire revealed would expose something far more disturbing than the scene itself.

In this episode of Murder on the Mic, Vanessa Wilson takes a deeper look at the 2006 Pinyon Pines triple homicide—where eighteen-year-old Becky Friedli, her mother Vicki Friedli, and Jon Hayward were murdered inside their home before it was set ablaze.

As investigators began to piece together what happened that night, the case quickly shifted from a fire investigation to something far more targeted.

A relationship.

A pattern of behavior.

And a level of escalation that would take years to fully prove.

This episode walks through the night of the murders step by step… the evidence that survived the fire… and the decade-long road to justice that followed.

Because sometimes, the truth isn’t lost.

It just takes time to rise out of the ashes.

When asked what case has haunted her the most, Vanessa didn’t hesitate.

In this episode of Murder on the Mic, she dives into one of the most disturbing cases in California history—the Toolbox Killers. Through a victim-focused lens, Vanessa tells the stories of the young girls whose lives were taken, the calculated brutality behind the crimes, and the lasting impact this case left on an entire generation.

This isn’t just a case.

It’s one that stays with you.

On a warm May night in 1997, seven-year-old Sherrice Iverson walked into a restroom inside a busy casino in Primm, Nevada. Just minutes later, her life was taken in a crime that would shock the nation.

What makes this case even more haunting is not only the brutality of what happened, but the disturbing reality that someone else knew a child was in danger — and chose to walk away.

In this episode of Murder on the Mic, Vanessa Wilson tells the heartbreaking story of Sherrice Iverson, the events that unfolded inside the Primadonna Resort & Casino, and the national outrage that followed when the public learned the words that would haunt this case forever: “I didn’t want to get involved.”

This episode also explores the impact of Sherrice’s story and how it helped inspire what became known as Sherrice’s Law, a push for accountability when children are in danger.

Most importantly, this episode remembers the little girl at the center of it all — a child whose life mattered.

When 22-year-old Brittany Killgore left her home in Fallbrook, California, she believed she was heading to San Diego for a dinner cruise.

Minutes after getting into the truck of the man who invited her, she sent a chilling text message:

“Help.”

Days later, Brittany’s disappearance would lead investigators to uncover a disturbing crime involving three suspects, a web of deception, and evidence that would eventually bring the truth to light in a California courtroom.

Join Vanessa Wilson on Murder on the Mic as we break down the timeline, the investigation, and the fight for justice for Brittany Killgore.

In October 1985, 17-year-old Michele “Missy” Avila left her Arleta home with two girls she had known for years — one of them a former best friend. She never came back.

Days later, her body was discovered in a shallow creek in Big Tujunga Canyon. What investigators uncovered would expose jealousy, humiliation, shifting stories, and a betrayal that shook the San Fernando Valley.

This isn’t just a story about teenage drama gone too far.

It’s about trust.

It’s about deception.

And it’s about what happens when someone you believe is safe… isn’t.

Nearly three years passed before arrests were made. In 1990, both women were convicted of second-degree murder. Decades later, they walked free.

Missy never got that chance.

This episode examines the crime, the investigation, the courtroom, and the devastating impact left behind — always victim-focused, always truth-driven.

Because the case may be closed… but the story isn’t.

P.s my apologies for being under the weather during this episode, but I needed to tell it so thank you for showing me Grace and allowing me to still be here to tell the story.

Hugs and kisses.

~Nessa🦋

In the early morning hours of September 20, 1996, a quiet home in Lancaster, California became the scene of a violent and deeply personal crime. Twenty-eight-year-old James May was inside his residence when two young males entered, a struggle followed, and his life was taken in a matter of moments. Despite statements being taken, evidence collected, and the scene processed, no arrests were ever made.

Nearly three decades later, the case remains unsolved.

In this episode of Murder on the Mic, Vanessa takes listeners back to 1996 — a time before smartphones, cameras, and digital footprints — to revisit the night James was killed and to shed light on a case that has grown quiet with time. Through a factual retelling of the events and the circumstances surrounding the investigation, this episode focuses on the life lost, the questions that remain, and the hope that renewed attention can help bring movement to a case that has waited far too long for answers.

If you have any information regarding the murder of James May, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or at lacrimestoppers.org.

The case may be cold… but the story isn’t over.

In this heartbreaking episode, we examine the devastating 2021 Lancaster tragedy that claimed the lives of four young children and their grandmother inside their own home. What appeared to be a normal Sunday night ended in unimaginable loss when the violence came from someone they trusted most. Through the timeline, courtroom outcome, and lasting impact on the surviving mother, this episode explores the painful reality of familicide, the hidden struggles that can exist behind closed doors, and the silence left behind when a family is taken in an instant.

This episode was incredibly hard to record. I’ve been sitting with these stories for weeks, and I’m honestly disgusted.

Today, we’re looking at the Antelope Valley- Palmdale and Lancaster in California—a place that’s literally an hour’s disconnect from the Hollywood Hills and the ocean—where the system completely looked away, no matter how many calls were made or reports were written.

We’re honoring the lives of Gabriel, Anthony, and Noah by being their voice. Vanessa is telling their stories of abuse by the very hands that were supposed to protect them and love them the most.

Three boys. Dozens of reports. A "campaign of abuse" that should have been stopped.